Are you making a life or making a living?

The work-life balance is something that many of my readers contact me about.  Some of my readers are working hard to financially support their family and have no time for anything else and others are struggling to work due to their family commitments and hold onto the guilt that they are unable to provide.

How do you manage a work-life balance? How do you learn the difference between making a life and making a living? When thinking of making a living, we get bulked down by society’s interpretation of finding a job, working as many hours as possible and everything will just follow along.  It’s like being on a treadmill that never stops!  We sacrifice time with our loved ones, end up working ourselves into the ground and don’t even give a second thought about me time!

So, what is making a life, I hear you say?  Well, making a life is all about being in the present moment. It means you have to discover the best version of yourself, discovering your true passions and learning to polish them.  It also means you need to have the ability to say NO to things, people or situations that do not serve you.  It’s about setting boundaries.  You have to discover your patience, compassion, integrity.  Learn how to use your own mind and connect it to your heart.  Only you can decide the life that you want to live, only you can decide the steps that you are willing to take and sometimes that includes taking the unpopular roads.

Of course, work is essential!  We all have bills to pay and no physical items come for free.  We all need a roof over our head, clothes to wear and food on the table but we need to learn when to clock off and spend time for ourselves and our family.  Work is not our enemy!  It only becomes our enemy when we allow it to take over our whole lives.  As the saying goes “Energy flows where our attention goes”. The question is, where are you allowing your attention to go?

In today’s society, it appears success is measured on status, wealth and fame.  We become so trapped and focused on how we believe that working hard and making money means we will be successful but is that really the case?  The answer is no!  How many of you think success should be measured by happiness, health, being at peace with yourself and surrounded by love and passion?  Don’t get me wrong, if your work is something that you truly enjoy and have a passion for then you are in a win, win situation but if you’re not, then it will always feel like it’s a chore.

Do not give up on yourself, please do not think that making a living is all that we are set out to do.  There are things that you can do that will enable you to make a living whilst also making a life!  You have the power of choice and you can start to live rather than exist!

Firstly you have to understand that starting the change is going to be hard work.  It is so easy to fall back into old habits as that is what you have trained your mind to believe.  Once you accept that you need to be consistent and committed to the change, you will be on the right road.  Here are a few steps to help you with your work/life balance

1. Schedule one thing that you look forward to each day- This could be anything from 15 minutes meditation, listening to your favourite song, creating a new plan.  Whatever works for you!
2. Ask for support – Asking for support doesn’t mean you are weak; in fact it takes great strength.  Delegation is the key to success
3. Concentrate on one thing at a time – whilst it’s great to multitask, it’s also very exhausting.  When you are working, work! When you have family time, focus purely on family time.
4. set your priorities – Look at what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be. As yourself, If I could focus on one thing today, what would it be?  Set that answer as your top priority then work on your second, third and so forth.

If you would like more information on how to create a healthy work-life balance, please email me at coachingwithdione@gmail.com